“You took our advice,” smiled Altem. “Long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and good walking shoes.”
“Don’t forget our hats,” smiled Chief. The man nodded, smiling up at the big man.
“Are all Americans as big as you?” he asked. “Even the woman is tall.” Chief laughed, shaking his head.
“Let’s just say we come from hearty stock,” smiled Chief. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
They took the trucks to the furthest point on the road, then gathered their packs and took off into the jungle. The terrain was rough, rugged, and barely touched. Thick trees canopied the area, the humidity so high, water dripped from the leaves of the trees. Varieties of bugs, lizards, and monkeys scurried around them.
Reaching the bottom of the volcanic hill, Temuk stopped them.
“This is a good place to take some water and eat something,” he said. “It will take us at least two hours to get to the top, and it’s not covered. It will be very hot, and if it rains, we’ll have to stop and wait.”
“Sounds like fun,” smirked Chief. “We could get someone up the mountain, send a rope down, and climb that way.”
“It’s not advisable,” said Temuk. “We should remain together.”
“We follow you,” said Ham, nodding respectfully at the other man.
The climb was slow and treacherous. The ground, already soaked from the rain, gave way easily, and it was difficult to dig their toes in and take the next step. Patrick and Christopher fought the urge to hold their sister’s hand, seeing Ham taking the lead with her.
Sadie looked behind her, smiling at her brothers, and reached out a hand to them. Both smiled, shaking their heads.
“I think you’re okay, sis,” smiled Patrick.
“Maybe I just want to hold your hand,” she grinned.
Patrick took her hand, pulling her along the mountain as Ham walked beside her. He knew she needed this reconnection with her brothers, and he was going to let her have it.
Stopping halfway up, they turned and took a seat, taking another water break as they looked back over the island and beyond.
“Wow,” whispered Sadie. “It’s extraordinary. Look! You can see Nan Madol from here.”
“You can see the whole island from here,” said Altem. “We believe that the ancestors took the rock columns from the top of the volcano and were able to move them down, then somehow run them all the way to the site.”
“How did they get them over the water?” asked Sadie.
“We’re not sure. That’s a mystery no one has solved yet.”
The team continued to sit, just staring off at the ocean, enjoying the breezes. When Temuk indicated they should move, they rose once again and continued the trek upward. When they reached the top, the men took careful photos, walking the circumference of the top of the dormant volcano.
When dark clouds quickly rolled in, they realized they were stuck in the open with nowhere to hide. Bron quickly walked the entire circle, then spotted a group of stones jutting out from the side below. He signaled for others to follow and take cover.
“I’ve never noticed this before,” smiled Temuk. “I should pay more attention to my own land.”
“It’s perfect,” said Bron. “Look, we can see straight to Nan Madol.”
“That path shouldn’t be there,” said Temuk. The others stared at the broken foliage and worn dirt track.
“I think we have a place to begin our search,” said Ham.
“We have something else,” said Chief, standing a few feet away, soaked to the skin. “Below us is a cave. We’ve had visitors.”
Sliding down the side of the soaked volcano on their rear ends, they found the opening that Chief discovered. A man-made opening in the side of the mountain face. Inside were crushed soda and beer cans, candy wrappers, cigarette butts, and empty MREs. In the far corner was a large green military lockbox.
With his knife, Ham broke the lock and opened the large box. Inside the box were several items. A stone chalice, several small spearheads, two knives with ornately carved handles, and an intricate ivory carved tray.
